Freelance Musicians, Singers, Composers, Arrangers, Pianists, Violinists

Musicians, Singers, and Related Professionals

Part-time schedules and intermittent unemployment are common; many musicians supplement their income with earnings from other sources.
Aspiring musicians begin studying an instrument or training their voices at an early age.
Competition for jobs is keen; those who can play several instruments and perform a wide range of musical styles should enjoy the best job prospects.

Job Outlook

Competition for jobs for musicians, singers, and related professionals is expected to be keen. The vast number of persons with the desire to perform will continue to greatly exceed the number of openings. Talent alone is no guarantee of success: many people start out to become musicians or singers but leave the profession because they find the work difficult, the discipline demanding, and the long periods of intermittent unemployment unendurable.

Overall employment of musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014. Most new wage and salary jobs for musicians will arise in religious organizations. Slower-than-average growth is expected for self-employed musicians, who generally perform in nightclubs, concert tours, and other venues. Growth in demand for musicians will generate a number of job opportunities, and many openings also will arise from the need to replace those who leave the field each year because they are unable to make a living solely as musicians or for other reasons.

Source:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers, on the internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos095.htm (visited August 23, 2006).